


Burnt Skies

by amyanom



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Archery, M/M, Robin Hood References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:20:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28309629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amyanom/pseuds/amyanom
Summary: Mark is the known outlaw of the Sherwood forest, and Donghyuck is the prince of the Nottingham palace. Under the burnt skies, they watched, how they were truly not meant to be.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14
Collections: NCTV Secret Santa 2020





	Burnt Skies

**Author's Note:**

  * For [softseoksoons](https://archiveofourown.org/users/softseoksoons/gifts).



> Thank you NCTVSS for this fest! And for 'Yuyu', this prompt really tickled my pickle. I hope you enjoy this!

The rhythmic galloping of the horse on the field disrupted the tranquil forest. The woodpeckers matched the horse’s beat and warblers communicated in a whistle. The coachman enjoyed the melody they emitted, until a long, loud whistle caught his attention too well that he had to stop the carriage.

It wasn’t from a bird, he was certain. An uproar was caused by a series of echoing through the forest. Their path was blocked by an appaloosa. On it was a man whose face was covered by his hood, carrying a bow pointed at the coachman. He released his grip and the arrow hit the carriage, right above the coachman’s head, making him freeze on his seat.

His head tilted to the side, signalling his men, and in a second, they were surrounded.

Alongside a couple of prayers, the coachman whispered to himself:

Mark Lee. 

He was a known outlaw in the Sherwood forest that no regal dared to enter, however some things are just meant to be.

Once the coachman was dragged away from the horse, Mark jumped down from his’. He walked his way to the carriage.

Opulent, Mark thought to himself, surely there was a pompous governor inside the gold-lined carriage with an embossed coat of arms on the door. Mark knocked on the rectangular tinted window.

The door opened slowly, and Mark was greeted by a sword pointed on his chest. The young man graciously walked out of the carriage as if he’d been expecting Mark.

Instead of an old levereter, it was a young prince, Mark deduced from the minted fur coat and the aura he carried. 

His merry men were caught off guard as well. The forest was pindrop silent. Mark slowly backed away but the prince followed forward, keeping his sword an inch away from his chest.

Mark felt a tree block his way, leaving him trapped under his power. The sword steadily went up to his chin, a dull pierce made his heart beat irregularly.

“Your majesty,” the coachman pleaded.

“Give them what they want,” he said, and he immediately heard the clinking of coins. “Be on your way.”

“But Sire-”

The young prince glanced at the coachman. “We never discuss this event. Now, be on your way.”

The coachman hopped in his carriage and hastily rode the horse away from the forest.

“Mark Lee, I presume?” the prince spoke to which stroked Mark’s ego.

“Glad to know I am discussed, Your majesty,” he said.

“Save the sweet talking for later,” he added.

Mark rolled his eyes. All the royalties are in fact the same. Supercilious.

“How may I be of service-”

“I need you and your merry men,” he said. “I need sacrifices.”

\---

Mark, the Prince, and the merry men sat around the campire. The sun had partially gone down.

The atmosphere was tense, as the Prince’s last words included sacrifices.

“If you’re a Prince, how come I never knew you?” one merry man asked which instigated murmurs around the circle.

Mark sat far away, his back leaning against the tree and the high pitched noise from the sharpening of the dagger filled his thoughts.

“I think that’s sharp enough,” Mark said to his right hand man, Renjun.

“Piss off,” Renjun replied as he took his time with his dagger. Mark decided to listen to the Prince’s mellifluous voice instead of the grinding of steel.

“Please, don’t indulge yourselves in my presence,” the Prince spoke. 

“No one was, prick,” Renjun commented.

“How about we drop the formalities, I am here as an equal to everyone,” he said.

“You called us sacrifices,” Renjun spoke once more.

“I apologize greatly for my kerfuffle,” he said. “I was in desperate need-”

“Get to the point, cox-comb.”

“I need help dethroning the current King.”

“Your father?” one asked.

“Step father,” he corrected. “Everyone is aware that he is corrupt and just a plain disgrace. I want him out of our lives.”

“And how do you propose we do that?” Mark chimed in.

“In any way we can.”

\---

As the Sun rested, the merry men went on their separate ways around the forest. Whispers filled the night, several gossips about the Prince, the plan, and the pandering.

Mark and the Prince were the only ones left on the campfire. Mark, as the proclaimed leader, makes sure that everyone is safe before he pursues slumber.

“I’ve seen you hold a bow,” he said. “You were great.”

“As if that’s not what I’m known for,” Mark said with irate. His feelings about the Prince tend to switch between two sides.

The latter seemed taken aback from his attitude. Nevertheless, he continued to speak. “And I’ve seen how you tensed up when you were cornered by a rusty sword.”

His ego bruised by the truth, Mark decided to ask. “What are you implying?”

“I’m instigating that we trade. I teach you how to hone your sword fighting and, in return, teach me archery.”

Mark pondered for a moment. There weren’t any downfalls to his plan, he thought to himself.

“Deal, Your majesty,” Mark said, extending his hand over the campfire.

The Prince met his hand half way. “Please, call me Donghyuck.”

\-----

The Sun rose and Mark, alongside Renjun, led Donghyuck to the open ground.

“This is the archery base,” Mark introduced. “Merry men and I practice here during our free time.”

Donghyuck ignored him and immediately picked up a bow.

“What do you think of him?” Mark asked.

“I rather die than perceive him,” Renjun replied. “You?”

“He’s alright,” Mark said. “Sometimes.”

“I don’t know why you let him stay,” Renjun said, glaring at Donghyuck who was experiencing trouble with the gear. “Who knows? He might’ve planned to overthrow the King just to take the crown and be worse.”

“His words made it seem that he sought us,” Mark said. “But he pays.”

“What?” Renjun, bewildered, faced Mark.

“He pays, in a different way-”

“You puterelle-”

“You churl!” Mark exclaimed. “I teach him archery, and he teaches me sword fighting. Not that!”

“Sword fighting?” Renjun said, focusing on the second subject. “What does he know about blades?”

“Don’t be overly bitter,” Mark said. “He probably had proper training.”

Renjun looked down to his hand, gripping his dagger.

“Hey-” Mark said. “This doesn’t mean anything against you. I just want a new perspective,” he assured Renjun.

“I don’t care.”

“By God’s bones! How do you work with this, Mark?” Donghyuck exclaimed from afar.

“Surely, he’s not that stupid,” Renjun spoke.

“Leave him be,” Mark shushed as he walked towards Donghyuck.

“I’ve been here for goddamn hours!” Donghyuck said.

“No need to be dramatic,” Mark sneered. “You hold the bow with one arm, stretched. The other hand holds the arrow.” 

Donghyuck picked up an arrow, struggling to stretch the string on the bow as he pulled it back.

“Why won’t it stay?” Donghyuck asked, irate enveloped him. 

“You have to be completely still. Take a deep breath to stay still,” Mark said, seemingly professional.

Donghyuck followed Mark’s orders. He took a deep breath, and pulled the string back once more. He focused on the bull’s-eye on the target a meter away.

“Loose,” Mark said. There was the sound of the string slapping Donghyuck's arm before a loud scream of excruciating pain enveloped the area.

“Shit!” Donghyuck exclaimed as he discarded the bow before storming out.

\---

Mark and Renjun found Donghyuck sitting on the rocks near a brook after the earlier event.

“I’ll talk to him,” Renjun said. “Maybe knock some sense or two-”

“Give me your daggers.”

“I won’t hurt your precious little prince,” Renjun teased before he walked towards Donghyuck.

“Ow do?” Renjun greeted before sitting near him.

“Huh?” Donghyuck asked, perplexed by the language outside of the castle.

“Fucking skamelar,” Renjun said. “How. Do. You. Do?”

“Oh,” Donghyuck said. “Fine.”

“You’re not much of a blabber-mouth today, are ya?”

“Do you need anything?” Donghyuck’s voice rising out of annoyance.

Renjun took his handkerchief out and ran it along the cold, running brook.

“Place it there,” Renjun said, to which Donghyuck complied.

After he had wrapped the cloth on his wound, Renjun gave him another thing.

“What’s this leather thing?”

“It’s an arm guard,” Renjun said. “It prevents the string from fully slapping your arm.”

Donghyuck nodded. Renjun rolled his eyes as he expected a ‘thank you’. Instead, Donghyuck quietly put the arm guard in his coat.

“No!” Donghyuck exclaimed. A piece of paper flew out from his coat and landed in the brook.

Renjun quickly fished out the paper and attempted to dry it.

“This your family?” he asked.

“Yeah-”

“The Queen sure is a doxy-”

“Hey! You have no basis for that claim!” Donghyuck shouted, eyebrows furrowed.

“I’m just saying what I see. She did marry a scum.”

“Leave my mom out of this,” Donghyuck said as he snatched the paper back.

“You ever miss your dad?” Renjun asked.

“Of course,” Donghyuck said with a smug, the one that hides the pain.

“Where is he anyway? Dead?” Renjun asked. It had been years since the old King disappeared and the greedy replacement took his crown.

“Missing, presumably so,” Donghyuck said.

Silence took over their conversation, alongside the streaming brook.

Renjun had not trusted Donghyuck from the start, yet somehow, he felt kin to the stranger. It had been a long time since he saw his family, yet he does not miss them. Perhaps it was the sense of duty that was resonating from Donghyuck that made him feel familiar.

“Did you seek us?” Renjun asked. “You probably have thousands of guards waiting for your command in your castle, so why us?”

“I did not seek any of you,” Donghyuck explained. “I was merely travelling around. I guess it was fate that brought me here.”

“Bullcrap.”

“I needed to prove myself, that I can be my own person.”

“Aren’t you using us?”

“Touché,” Donghyuck commented. “But I didn’t want to take the easy way. So, I’m here to learn a thing or two.”

“Would you really do anything to take the crown back?” Renjun asked. 

“Anything, to bring honor and my family back.”

Renjun decided to take a leap of faith.

\---

At night, the merry men joined the three for supper after the local farmers gave them their gratitude. Renjun and Donghyuck sat far from the men. 

“Don’t mind him, he’ll be fine,” Renjun said.

“Pardon?”

“I see you glancing at Mark-”

“I am not!”

“He’ll be fine. He tends to let everyone finish before he begins.”

“Interesting,” Donghyuck said. He examined how cheery Mark was with the people, laughing and conversing with them. 

“Wouldn’t you say that he has the quality of a King?” Renjun said.

“What are you instigating?” Donghyuck asked.

Renjun shrugged. “He’s kind, and all that. I don’t know, the thought just appeared in my mind.”

Donghyuck sneered. Mark as a King? Impossible. “Mark is too full of himself-”

“Are you some stupid hedge-born?” Renjun said.

“You sure do defend him a lot,” Donghyuck said, avoiding the conversation.

“Well,” Renjun pondered. “He’s a great friend.”

“Only a friend?” Donghyuck teased.

“I’ve got two daggers in front of me, Donghyuck. Consider that as a threat.”

Donghyuck laughed his nervousness away and decided to analyze Renjun’s statement.

Mark as a King, suddenly, his vision changed. He does see it, however Mark’s actions towards him were not welcoming at all.

Donghyuck thought vividly. Mark with a stern visage, dressed in a buttoned tunic, highlighting his broad shoulders that is covered by a surcoat. His hand, firmly grasping the sword as he fought alongside his men. His crown, naturally sitting on top of his jet black curls, infiltrated by several blond streaks. Mark would probably be a cheerful King, greeting everyone with a smile that it accentuates his high cheekbones. Mark would welcome everyone, except him.

His thoughts disappeared once Renjun waved a hand in front of him.

“Daydreaming about Mark, are we?” Renjun teased.

“Screw you.”

\-----

It was a new sight for Mark as he saw Renjun and Donghyuck giggle as they walked towards the open field. Renjun seemed eager to tell Donghyuck a story while the latter was equally engaged.

“Good morning,” Donghyuck greeted once he saw Mark.

“Okay,” Mark blurted, earning a discerning look from Renjun. “Can we talk?” he continued, pulling Renjun aside.

“Is everything fine?”

“I should be the one asking you that,” Renjun said. “You pulled me to the side just to ask that?”

“I just feel that something was off,” Mark reasoned.

“I’m fine,” Renjun said. “You?”

“I feel weird,” Mark admitted. “A day ago, you hated his guts.”

“A day ago, you were fine with him,” Renjun retorted. “What changed?” he asked.

“I’ve thought about what you said. About how he might be worse than his step father,” Mark said. “Oh, I don't know, why do u believe he's a good person? He's a royalty. “

“Because I got nothing else to lose. Why don’t you believe him?”

“We’re thieves. Even if we're doing the right thing, nothing is ever right in the eyes of the opulent. What if he's a traitor?”

Renjun kept quiet. He wanted to say what he knows but it wasn’t his story to tell. “Donghyuck isn't the person I thought he is. Trust him-”

“I can't trust a stranger.”

“Then trust me. Mark, I know he feels off most of the time, and there’s probably a part in you that doesn’t want to believe him. The thing is you’re having a dilemma because everything about this is telling you to trust him, it’s just you who wouldn't budge.”

In the distance, Donghyuck was setting up his bow, stealing glances from Mark and Renjun. Mark feels guilty but he's still wary.

“I’ll burn the bridge when I get there,” Mark said, leaving Renjun behind to help Donghyuck fix his bow.

“Cross. Mark. Mark, you mean cross right?”

\---

“Have you ever held a bow before?” Mark asked.

“A couple times,” Donghyuck said. “The bows aren’t as terrible as these though,” he teased, hoping to see a reaction from Mark.

“Any previous knowledge?” Mark asked.

Donghyuck hated that Mark was different around him. Whether it was his nature of being included and important or Mark was just being an ass, Donghyuck’s plan was to be close with him. 

He seems like a reasonable guy, Donghyuck repeated to himself, That’s all.

“No,” he answered.

A heavy sigh left Mark’s lips as he grabbed a bow.

“You should wear your arm guard first,” Mark said.

Donghyuck let out a soft gasp, “I left it in my coat,” he reasoned.

Mark grunted in annoyance. He put his bow down and unstrung his arm guard. He lent his hand out for Donghyuck’s arm which the latter immediately gave.

“Does it fit?” Mark asked, adjusting the strings.

“It’s fine,” Donghyuck said timidly. Mark’s proximity made Donghyuck feel weird. 

“Fine won’t cut it,” Mark said sternly. “It’ll fall off, and it’s practically useless.”

“It’s a bit loose,” he admitted.

Once Mark was done, he picked his bow up and began giving instructions.

“Use your non-dominant hand, and keep your arm straight,” Mark said to which Donghyuck followed immediately. 

“Take your arrow, and take a deep breath to stabilize it. Hold it in, focus on the target, and let go. Got it?” 

Donghyuck nodded, however, he did not, in fact, understand anything.

“Let’s take a break?” Donghyuck offered.

“We haven’t started-”

“Let’s take a break.”

Donghyuck set his bow down and walked away from the field, more specifically, Mark. Conveniently, Renjun was near, sitting down next to a tree, reading a book.

“What are you reading?” Donghyuck asked as he got closer.

“It’s called ‘mind your business’,” Renjun replied. “How was practice?”

“Well,” Donghyuck paused. “Great?”

“I know a lie when I hear one.”

“It’s just that, he’s different around me. He wasn’t the nice guy I saw yesterday, hanging out with anyone he sees,” Donghyuck reasoned.

“Have you ever considered that maybe it's you that is the problem?” Renjun asked. “That maybe it’s you and your background making Mark treat you differently.”

“But he wasn’t like that when I first met him,” Donghyuck asked. “What changed?”

“People do. People change all the time, Donghyuck. You shouldn’t be surprised about this, isn’t treason a common crime in the castle?” Renjun teased but Donghyuck’s mind was elsewhere.

“What do I need to do to make Mark welcoming?”

“Are you asking me what Mark’s type is?” Renjun asked the now flustered Donghyuck.

“Don’t twist my words!”

“It was leading there anyway,” Renjun said. “Hmm, let me think. Mark probably likes honest people. Ever told a lie?”

“Several.”

\---

“It’s been twelve years,” Mark commented as soon as Donghyuck returned.

“Sorry,” Donghyuck replied which caught Mark off guard but he quickly dismissed the thought. 

Mark demonstrated how to cast an arrow once more but Donghyuck felt more distracted.

Mark’s shoulders straightened as he inhaled to pull the string back, stopping at the corner of his lips, directing Donghyuck’s eyes there specifically. Mark closed his left eye as he prepared to shoot the arrow. A ‘whoosh’ went past them.

“Did you see that?” Mark asked as he turned his head towards Donghyuck, who was blankly staring at him.

“Oh, uh. Yeah,” Donghyuck said, shifting his gaze towards the wilderness. “Bull’s eye.”

“I missed.”

“I knew that.”

“Pay attention, will you?” Mark said with irate. “I’m now doubting how good you really are at sword fighting.”

“I was trained,” Donghyuck rebutted.

“Trained doesn't mean good.”

“I can show you.”

“We’ll leave it for tomorrow, I'm tired," Mark said, and Donghyuck couldn't help but to feel sorrow and desire.

"Would you mind staying till sundown?" Donghyuck asked. He could feel his heart racing against his tunic.

Mark considered the offer for quite some time before replying. "Follow me."

\---

Donghyuck followed Mark in a dirt trail which lead to a mountain. Mark seemed to be experienced with the path that he moved efficiently while Donghyuck staggered behind.

"Wait for me, will you?" Donghyuck said.

"Do you want to be in front of the trail, Your Majesty?" Mark said in a monotone.

"We could walk together," Donghyuck suggested, slowly catching up.

"Not a chance."

Donghyuck felt the glare of the tamed Sun shone on him, making him stumble.

"Do they not raise you strong and proud in the palace?" Mark asked as he walked towards Donghyuck. He lend a hand for him to lean on.

"We could stay here," Donghyuck said, staring at the darkening sky that will soon envelop the Earth.

"The place is near," Mark said. "Can you stand?"

"No," he lied.

"You can hop on my back-"

"Suddenly, I can," Donghyuck said quickly. "Let's go?"

\---

The place was a couple of steps near and the Sun took its time to rest. Donghyuck felt that there were two entities inside of him. One was the light, the orange glow that rested on Mark's skin, the the desire to touch his face and know that he's real. One was the void, the fear of regret and rejection, the rapid beating of the heart once Mark was a little bit too close.

"This is it," Mark said, leading Donghyuck to the edge of a cliff where they could see the Sun go to slumber, the trees that swung gently with the night's breeze, and the gradient that clothed the sky.

The two sat down near the edge, neither spoke because they lacked courage and similarity.

Donghyuck unconsciously caressed his bruise on his arm. The pigment darkened but the sting went away.

"How do you treat this?" Donghyuck asked, and for the first time in a while, Mark looked his way.

"You just wait until it goes away. It heals on its own," Mark replied.

"Do you suggest that I keep practicing? Even if it might harm the bruise?"

"Just be careful next time. The bruise is already there, there's nothing you could do," Mark said. His hand slowly hovered on Donghyuck's arm, and by habit, his fingers traces circles around it. "A bruise doesn't hurt when you exert force in it. Just let it be."

"I suppose you're right," Donghyuck said. He was surprised that his voice came out naturally since he could feel his heart in his throat.

This was one of the times where Donghyuck feels the light and the void at the same time, and for him, it was just a mixture of regret that will keep him awake at night. Mark was too close to him but he didn't liked nor hated it. It felt like it was just a statement, a fact, for now.

"Your father," Mark spoke. "He hasn't been around, has he?" he added, careful with his words.

"He's been missing for years. It's been so long that only a photograph could help me remember."

Mark nodded. It has been years since he started robbing carriages.

"How about your parents?" Donghyuck asked.

Mark's circles stopped and he shifted in his seat to avoid Donghyuck's warm gaze. "Dead."

Donghyuck immediately regretted asking, he doesn't deal with death very well. "Not so different, you and I."

Mark scoffed. "Yours is missing, and mine are dead. Pray tell, Your Majesty, how is that darned similar?"

Donghyuck did not respond.

"You were in your soft mattress, eating breakfast handed to you before you woke up. You lived in a castle and I was an outlaw since I was 12. I reckon we have more differences than similarities, no?"

On the way back home, Donghyuck wrapped himself in the void.

\---

"That was harsh!" Renjun commented. "Too harsh for me even!"

"I know," Mark reflected as he stared at Donghyuck's tent. "But I felt like it was necessary."

"Oh you absolute Dalcop," Renjun said. "You do realize that when you were 12, Donghyuck was probably the same or even younger. He did not know jack shit about how they work things there. Yes, he's born a prince but he's born human too, Mark."

Mark nodded. "What do you propose I do?"

"Apologize," Renjun suggested. "Or, assassinate the King?"

"I think apologizing is better," Mark said. "Maybe tomorrow-"

"You goddamn flopdoodle."

\---

Mark lie on the dewy grass while next to him lay Donghyuck. He had mentioned a memory that was supposedly hilarious but Mark only caught his roaring laughter.

Donghyuck rose up to sit and he looked back at Mark. "You've been teaching me archery for quite some time now. I suppose I shall repay you."

"A kiss on the cheek?" Mark caught himself spoke.

"No, Silly!" Donghyuck chuckled. "I can teach you sword fighting right now."

Mark rose from the ground. "We don't have swords-"

"Look, there's a branch. See, if you want something, there's a way."

"You're spewing crap."

"Oh, I've been fed with crap my whole life. Who's to blame?" Donghyuck said.

Mark fetched the branch and stood his ground. The Sun was setting over the horizon. The burnt skies draped over the world.

"That's surely not how you hold a sword," Donghyuck teased, his voice was becoming hard to hear by each fleeting second.

"Doesn't matter," Mark said before lunging towards Donghyuck's lower right side. Donghyuck blocked Mark's branch and he flicked his wrist, sending Mark's weapon flying above their heads.

"You should've listened," Donghyuck said, he inched closer towards Mark, pinning him against the tree.

Mark's chin rested on Donghyuck's branch, with the short distance, he grabbed Donghyuck's wrist and pinned him down the field. The sun's last beams sat on Donghyuck's alluring visage.

"I've really enjoyed your company," Donghyuck said. "You may be a pain in the ass but you're tolerable."

"Says you," Mark said. He let go of Donghyuck's wrist as he helped him sit up.

"I guess it is meant to be," Donghyuck said, his face inching closer towards Mark. He lingered for a moment, the dusty sunlight separated their lips.

"Mark, wake up! Donghyuck is gone."

\---

Mark’s heart grew restless as he approached Donghyuck’s tent with a lantern. Renjun’s piercing voice abruptly woke him up from a vivid dream he couldn’t keep out of his mind. His hands sweat as he thinks about how he was probably the one that drove Donghyuck away. He needed help but Mark tossed them aside because of his baseless preconceptions.

“The trap was broken,” Renjun added.

Mark noticed the torn fabrics from Donghyuck’s tent. He entered the tent only to see Donghyuck’s surcoat, and a letter underneath it.

Grimsthorpe Castle, 4 am sharp.

“Fetch my horse!” Mark exclaimed. He quickly wore his green tunic and his quiver. He took the bow and his horse and bid his temporary farewell as nothing was important to him as getting Donghyuck safely back home.

\---

Donghyuck’s dream was cut short by a loud conversation . He seemed to be in a moving platform, a carriage, he deduced.

A cloth covered his eyes and he felt his hands tied behind him. He heard sneers and unfamiliar voices around him. He wanted to shout but his throat felt dry.

“I tell ya, two birds in one stone,” said one of them. “We get his step-son and we capture the outlaw!”

“Step son?” Donghyuck whispered to himself. “Oh, God’s bones.”

Before Donghyuck met Mark, he and his step father had a fight that left his mother in a dilemma. She chose her husband and Donghyuck understood that he needed to get rid of him as quickly as he could. He knew that the outlaw in Sherwood forest existed but he didn’t expect to meet them there. He knew he was lacking in many aspects. As Mark shot the bow above his coachman’s head, he knew that he would be the best mentor to have. 

The carriage halted and Donghyuck pretended to sleep. He felt grimy hands touch him and carry him through a series of stairs.

It was then that he realized how big of a deal this was. He couldn’t see any light that could’ve passed through the cloth. It must still be night. He tried hard to think how to break free but he was too sore from archery. He blamed and prayed.

\---

Mark reached the castle and he saw Donghyuck near the edge. He quickly ran inside, shooting a couple of guards before reaching the top.

“Donghyuck!” he shouted as he reached the top. He saw him standing near one last guard

“Stay right there,” they said. “Drop your weapons, Mark Lee.”

The thought of this event being a trap had crossed Mark’s mind, however the quivering of Donghyuck’s lips and his tense body says otherwise. Mark dropped his bow and quiver, and he slid them towards the guard.

He followed the tip of the sword pointed at him, all he had to do is stay calm and think. The guard inched closer and the blade kissed Mark’s skin. The handle was too far to grip and the edge was too sharp to hold. 

At the corner of his eye, he saw Donghyuck pick up a bow and arrow. His aim was faulty but Mark nodded to show his approval of the plan. The tip started to pierce Mark’s neck. Donghyuck was still pulling the string back.

“Donghyuck, let go!” Mark exclaimed. The arrow barely missed him and it scathed the guard's hand. Mark quickly ran to Donghyuck’s side, he took the bow and shot the guard.

Donghyuck stood frozen, his hands were mid-air, exactly where Mark took his bow. “I couldn’t-”

“It’s okay,” Mark said. He pulled Donghyuck closer for a hug. “It’s okay,” he repeated. He traced circles around his back until Donghyuck had the strength to hug back. “As long as you are safe.”

Donghyuck shook his head. “It was my step father that captured me,” he said.

“Figures,” Mark replied. “We’ll continue training you in our base. When the time comes-”

“No. It has to be right now,” Donghyuck said. “Nottingham castle is just one village away. Mark, this is the perfect opportunity.”

“What do you plan to do?” Mark asked.

“How many arrows do you have left?” Donghyuck asked.

“Three more.”

“How many hits does it take to kill?” Donghyuck asked once more.

“Are you implying that we kill your step father?” Mark asked to which the doe-eyed Donghyuck nodded. “Donghyuck, no.”

He scoffed. “What do you mean no?”

“Murder is murder-”

“Well, you are a robber!” Donghyuck exclaimed. “You’re not exactly a Saint either. I’m doing this for the better, Mark. This is the only chancs.”

“I can’t let you get blood on your hands, Donghyuck.”

\---

The ride back home was silent. Mark guided his horse to the exit of the forest. He stepped down from the horse and bid Donghyuck goodbye.

“They need you now, Donghyuck. You have to be on your way,” Mark said. Donghyuck had been stalling for a minute.

“I suppose they could handle me missing for a few more months,” Donghyuck said.

“Chaos continue to ensue, Your Majesty-”

“Don’t do that,” Donghyuck said. “You don’t have to say that.”

“But it’s your title.”

“It’s A title,” he reasoned. “Also, just because he’s dead, doesn’t mean I am needed there-”

“You’re not making any sense. You said you’d be next in line when he dies.”

“I am!” Donghyuck exclaimed. “I just can’t take it that fast. I am not prepared at all, Mark. I have been missing from the castle for weeks. I don’t know what to do.”

Mark resigned. “You know where to find me, Donghyuck.”

Donghyuck’s mind was filled with the void once more. The Sun continued to rise while he was being pulled under the sea. He wanted to say something, anything, to be with Mark longer. “Before you go. Can you perhaps say that you hurriedly saved me once you’ve been informed that I was captured? That no one coerced you to do so? And you really cared about me?”

Mark’s sweet melody guided Donghyuck back to the castle, where he had to face his cold reality, with a fleeting memory of dawn.

\-----

It has been several months since Mark saw Donghyuck. It had been several months since the laws changed, for the better, as he promised. Mark and his men did not need to rob carriages yet they still lived in the forest, something about Mark not wanting to leave. They hunt animals, legally. The laws and the ruler was prograssive.

“Mail,” Renjun said with a hint of tiredness in his voice.

Daily, Donghyuck never failed to send him a letter. Mark sat up in his tent and looked at the pile of unopened letters with the royal stamp, neatly stacked in the corner.

“We wouldn't be in so much pain if he sent me one,” Renjun spoke. “Just look at one, Mark. Please.”

Mark took the letter out of Renjun’s hand and carefully opened the envelope.

Dearest Mark,

I am fated to be with someone else overmorrow. This might be my last letter for the meantime. Take care. You are always invited in my castle.

“What did it say?” Renjun asked.

“He’s getting married.”

\---

Mark stood in the castle, admiring the unfamiliar high walls. A series of footsteps caught his attention. He turned towards the sound, and he saw him after a while.

“Mark?” Donghyuck’s mellifluous voice filled Mark with yearning. “Is that really you?”

“Sure is,” Mark replied. 

Donghyuck walked closer, he threw his arms around Mark’s stiff body. “Wouldn’t hurt to hold an old friend.”

“I’m not meant to stay,” Mark said. “I was just here to congratulate you.”

“Oh,” Donghyuck said. “Well, why don’t we go somewhere more comfortable?”

“I don't intend to stay-”

“It will be quick-”

“I think you’re forgetting that I am a convict,” Mark said.

“It was justified-”

“I don’t even know why I’m really here,” Mark added. “Why would you ask me to attend your wedding,” he added, holding back his reason. Mark hated to see Donghyuck with someone else.

“Do you know how many times I walked alone in the forest, pocket full of gold, in hopes to see you? You told me that I knew where to find you and I thought I did.”

“Is this all revenge then?”

“This was my last plea. If the letters I sent made it to you, then I knew you still existed and was not some fever dream I had months ago.”

“Your majesty-”

“I told you not to do that,” Donghyuck said.

“Don’t you see? You and I wouldn’t work together. I am an outlaw, who steals from your kind.”

“And I’m trying to change that, and I know you are too,” Donghyuck said. “Why are you being like this?”

“Just to show you that this was doomed from the start. Stop clinging on the past, Donghyuck. I can’t save you twice.”

“I don’t want to be saved. I just want you here.”

“Every night that you walked by. I suppressed you cries, because what if it wasn’t you-”

“Bullshit-”

“What if I just imagined it. I grew restless, Donghyuck. I was a convict, a murderer on the run. I knew it was you, but the thought of betrayal wasn’t far fetched.”

“Is that what you think of me?” 

“I try hard not to. That night, I thought I could try and change your ideals.”

“It was for the better.”

“I didn’t feel better. I felt worse. Let’s face it, I’m just your dirty little secret, that’s how this whole thing was meant to be! If people knew that you befriended an outlaw to kill your step father, do you know what they’ll feel?”

“I don’t care,” Donghyuck said.

“I do-”

“Why! Why do you care what people would think about me?”

“You’re denser than a rock. I care so much about you that I don’t want you to suffer from anyone’s preconceptions. You’re the King now, Donghyuck. It matters.”

Donghyuck knew what to feel, yet he was scared. Mark wasn’t a dirtly little secret, hell, Donghyuck even wanted to boast around that he knew the good-natured thief. He wanted to showcase Mark to the whole nation, but he was right. He was the King and to some of them, Mark was just another outlaw.

“That night,” Donghyuck spoke. “When I was captured, I had a dream.”

Mark’s ears perked up as he heard a familiar event.

Donghyuck focused on the target meters ahead of him. His hand felt numb holding the string for too long. He felt a breeze on his nap, sending electricity down his spinez

He felt a hand placed itself on top of his, he looked back to see that it was Mark. He felt another on his shoulder. 

“You were so close to me that i regret that I couldn’t make it reality.”

“What happened after?”

“I shot you,” Donghyuck said. His hazy memory only included one vivid scene that he tried to forget.

Straight to the heart, the arrow went. In a millisecond confusion was replaced by sorrow. Donghyuck ran towards Mark who was on the ground. He took his cold hand and the next moment, he was gone. Like a stray balloon that left a child’s wrist. Donghyuck was alone under the burnt skies.

“I don’t know why I did. I would never do that. That would never have been in the reality I wanted,” he explained. “I remember crying when I woke up. That night where I had to shoot someone else. I was scared shitless that I would hurt you.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Mark asked.

Donghyuck shrugged. “Closure, maybe. How about you? Was there any dream that you wanted to come true?”

Mark thought back to the dream he had before Donghyuck was captured. Where they sparred and almost kissed. He nodded.

Donghyuck fell quiet once more. The giant bell sitting on top of the castle rang loudly. There’s exactly eleven hours until he’s married.

“Do you think there’s another world where that was the reality?” Donghyuck asked.

“Most probably.”

“Why do you think it wasn’t here?” Donghyuck asked.

Mark pursed his lips. “Because you would’ve killed me.”

A light chuckle escaped Donghyuck’s lips. He looked at Mark, probably for the last time in his life. “I guess it was never meant to be.”


End file.
